Visiting MIT

On Thursday a handful of students made an easy trip down to MIT, the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

To start off their visit, the students attended an hour-long information session led by an MIT alumna. During this comprehensive presentation, they learned about the community and culture at MIT, as well about the wealth of academic options, research opportunities– and what the admissions application process looks like.

Afterwards, we set off for a little tour, first winding through several of MIT’s extensive underground tunnels (a preferred means of accessing other buildings when there’s the Massachusetts’ winter outside!). Students got to see what several of MIT’s maker spaces look like, including a toy-making workshop and a glass-blowing facility. From there, we went outside to to Killian Court, where we could take in the view of MIT’s main building and its “Great Dome” as well as a picturesque Charles River on the opposite side.

Our guide answered the students’ questions about life at MIT, and she also told us about the culture of “hacks,” which are essentially pranks that MIT students organize to impress the community. One very well-known hack occurred in 1994, when students managed to place a real police car on top of the Great Dome, which you can see in the background below.

After the guided tour, many students opted to remain on campus to explore, while others came back to Harvard for some rest before another (and almost final) evening of social time and fun.